Eraser-cleaning machine.



J.- A. MINES;

FRASER CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.15, 1909.

940,254. Patented Nav. 16, 1909.

2 sums-mama: i.

J A. JONES.

ERASER CLEANING MAGHINE.

AFPLIGATION FILED JAN. 15, 1909.

940,254. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JAMES A. JONES, OF LOGANSPORT, INDIANA.

ERASER-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application filed January 15, 1909. Serial No. 472,530.

To all whom 272. may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. J ONES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of lndiana, haveinvented a new and useful Eraser-Cleaning Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide improved means forbeating and brushing black-board erasers to remove the chalk-dusttherefrom, and to collect the dust in a drawer or other receptacle,which can be emptied atany time.

The invention also has for its object to provide a machine of this kindwhich is simple in construction and operation, and which will rapidlyclean the erasers; and to this end it consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the drawing hereto annexed, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 33 ofFig. 2.

In the drawing, 5 denotes a bed plate on which the working parts aresupported.

The erasers to be cleaned are fed through the machine and supported,while being operated on, on a slideway 6, which is channeled, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2, to receive the erasers. Extending above this slidewayis a plurality of heaters 7 which are pivotally mounted at one end on ashaft 8, supported in bearing standards 9, rising from the bed plate 5.The free ends of the beaters are engageable by wipers, which are mountedon a rotatable shaft 10 and comprise each a hub 11 and a pair of arms 12extending radially from said hub on diametrically opposite sidesthereof, the outer ends of said arms being forked and fitted withrollers or wheels 13, to reduce friction. A wiper as herein described isprovided for each beater, and the wipers are equally spaced apart on theshaft and engage the heaters successively. When the shaft 10 is rotated,the wipers, upon engaging the free ends of the heaters, throw themupwardly, and when the wipers clear the heaters, they are pulleddownwardly in the direction of the slide-way 6 by means of springs 14,connected respectively to the heaters, whereby the eraser on theslide-way is given a sharp, sudden and forcible blow, which quicklydislodges the chalk-dust. The springs let are connected at one end tothe beaters, and at the other end to the bed plate 5.

The shaft 1.0 is supported in suitable bearing standards 15 and 16respectively, rising from the bed plate, and on said shaft is a beveledpinion 17, which meshes with a beveled gear 18, on a shaft 19. Thestandard 16 is provided with bearings for the shaft 19, and in one endof said shaft is a socket for the attachment of a crank-handle 20,whereby the machine is operated.

Above the slide-way, adjacent to and behind the beaters, is mounted arotary brush 21, said brush being carried by a shaft 22, supported inbearing standards 23, rising from the bed plate. This shaft is geared tothe shaft 10 by beveled gears 24 and 25. The brush 21 extendstransversely across the slide-way and engages the eraser as it leavesthe beaters.

On the shaft 22, on one side of the brush 21, is mounted a fan 26,inclosed in a casing 27. The fan-casing is supported by brackets 28,secured to the bed plate. A piece of rubber hose or tubing may beslipped over the discharge nozzle 29 of the fancasing, to conduct thedust to a window, the furnace, or any other suitable place.

The mechanism herein described is preferably inclosed within a casing30. The casing contains a drawer 31, which is spaced from the bottom ofthe casing a suflicient distance so as to extend across the bed platewhen the machine is within the casing. The bearing standards 15 and 16are spaced apart sufficiently to accommodate the drawer. In one of thewalls of the casing is an opening to permit the attachment of thecrank-handle with the shaft 19. In line with the slide-way 6, theopposite walls of the casing are provided with openings, into one ofwhich the erasers are inserted. After the erasers are cleaned they aredischarged from the other opening. The last mentioned opening isprovided with a discharge chute 32, and the other opening is providedwith a short tray 33, 011 which the erasers are placed as they are fedthrough said opening to the machine.

The operation of the machine is as follows :The operator turns thecrank-handle 20 with the right hand, and feeds the erasers from the tray33 through the adjacent opening in the wall of the casing with the lefthand. As the slide-way 6 is in a direct line with the opening, theeraser enters the slide-way as soon as it passes through said opening.The second eraser now inserted in the same manner, which moves the firstone under the heaters, which are playing rapidly up and down by means ofthe wipers and the springs. The'comhined width of the heaters issubstantially the same as the length of the eraser, so that the entiresurface of the eraser is operated onhy the heaters.

It will he understood of course that the felt side of the eraser ispresented to the heaters. The eraser is beaten as long as the operatorsees fit, and then the third eraser is inserted, which moves the seconderaser under the heaters, and moves the first eraser under the brush 21,which removes any dust that may he remaining on the surface of theeraser, and, when the next eraser is inserted, the first one isdischarged on to the chute 32, through the opening in the wall of theeasing adjacent thereto.

The advantage of providing a plurality of heaters is that only a smallamount of the surface of the eraser is covered by each heater, thusrequiringa lighter spring, which in turn requires less power. Anotheradvantage is that one beater is always on the eraser, thus holding it toits place, and preventing it from bouncing out of the slideway. Bysetting the wipers at regular intervals on the shaft 10, less balancingpower is required, said shaft being provided with a balance wheel 34.

hen the machine is in the casing, and the lid is closed, the fan drawsits air through the two opposite openings where the erasers enter andleave the machine. This blast of air prevents any dust from floating outat these openings, and draws it into the fan casing from which it isdischarged through the nozzle 29. Thus, the dust that is notprecipitated into the dust drawer is immediately discharged from themachine,

sion across a single eraser on the slideway,

whereby said heaters also ope ate to successively act as holders for theeraser.

2. In an eraser cleaner, a horizontally eX tending slideway on which theerasers are supported, a plurality of heaters working above theslideway, and engageable with the erasers thereon, a rotatable shaftextending parallel to the slideway, wipers on the shaft for actuatingthe heaters, a shaft extending transversely of the slideway above thesame, and geared to the aforesaid shaft, a brush mounted on thetransverse shaft, and engageahle with the erasers after they pass theheaters, and operating means connected to the first-mentioned shaft.

3. In an eraser cleaner, a base, standards rising therefrom, a shaftsupported by the standards, heaters pivotally mounted at one end on theshaft, a rotary shaft, wipers thereon engageahle with the free ends ofthe heaters for lifting them, an eraser support beneath the heaters,springs connected at one end to the base, and at their other ends to theheaters between the eraser support and the pivoted ends of the heaters,and operating means for the rotary shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. JONES.

\Vitnesses ABRAHAM L. JONES, T. N. CAsH.

